1.5° Ventures Climate Tech Venture Building Grant

About this grant

1.5° Ventures is a climate tech venture builder that works with mission-driven founders and founding teams to accelerate the development and deployment of climate technologies. The program focuses exclusively on climate solutions with the potential to reduce at least 100 megatons of CO2 equivalent annually, where emission reductions are directly coupled with revenue generation. 1.5° Ventures addresses the structural gap in climate tech entrepreneurship by matching stellar climate founders from scientific backgrounds with experienced business founders, providing comprehensive support across team building, funding strategy, ecosystem access, and shared services. The venture builder enhances every aspect of portfolio companies by at least 20 percent through coaching, knowledge transfer, expert guidance, and access to a Berlin-based office available 24/7. The program covers complex financing including equity, debt, and grants to support the capital-intensive nature of climate tech ventures, recognizing that physical solutions (atoms, not bits) are essential for addressing the hardest-to-decarbonize industries through new processes, materials, and technologies.

Eligibility

The program seeks mission-driven founders and founding teams with stellar management skills, strong go-to-market mindsets, and pragmatic problem-solving, technical, and collaboration abilities. Applicants must be working on climate solutions with the potential to reduce at least 100 megatons of CO2 equivalent annually, where emission reductions are coupled directly with revenue. The business model and technology must both be ready for hyperscaling. Founders from chemistry, biology, and other physical science backgrounds are particularly encouraged to apply, especially those seeking to partner with experienced business founders or those already part of founding teams.

Key requirements

• ✓Physical climate tech company focused on decarbonization in hard-to-decarbonize industries
• ✓Potential to reduce at least 100Mt CO2e per year
• ✓Pre-seed or early-stage venture with founding team or co-founding opportunity

Funder contact

The notice names a programme contact you can speak to before applying.

Frequently asked questions

Who can apply for 1.5° Ventures Climate Tech Venture Building?

Eligibility covers organisations in GLOBAL; startup. See the eligibility criteria above for the full conditions.

Relevant sectors

About this sector

Industrial decarbonisation funding helps heavy industry cut emissions through electrification, fuel switching, process change and efficiency. Support is often capital-intensive and tied to a specific site, with feasibility studies leading to larger deployment calls. Applicants need emissions baselines, engineering studies and a plan to keep production running during the change.